Set-backs are Good!

The past week has been a little rough in my insular Turbo 26 world. We had set our grand opening date to December 9th and all cylinders were firing to make that opening. We were marketing and promoting. We were training and scheduling yoga instructors. We were staging our supplies in my garage. On December 7th, my contractors told me no. We are not opening on the 9th. We need an extra week. Circumstances beyond our control, etc., etc.

I was upset and angry, but there was really nothing I could do about it except plan for the delay. We need to let our instructors know. We need to let our members know. We need to change all our messaging on the website, on social media, everywhere. Time for damage control.

I had made a decision early on in the development of Turbo 26 that I was going to build this business with joy and happiness. This is my dream coming true, and I am making it happen. I have been incredibly grateful, optimistic, and happy all the way through, but I couldn’t help feeling just a little bit pissed about the delay. Breathe Joanna. You’re a yogi. Take a deep breath and get to work.

They say every cloud has a silver lining. When something is wrong or going badly, is it actually good? Didn’t get the studio open on time? GOOD! More time to plan. More time to market. More time to study the inner workings. Unexpected problems are good. We have the opportunity to figure out a solution.

In the words of motivational speaker, Jocko, “If you can say the word Good, guess what? It means you’re still alive. It means you’re still breathing. And if you’re still breathing, well now, you still got some fight left in you. So get up. Dust off. Reload. Re-calibrate. Reengage.”

I believe this lesson applies to just about every situation in life. The pursuit of meaningful goals will always be fraught with bumps in the road. If you can get through the rough spots and come out the other end, you will undoubtedly be the better for it. Nothing meaningful in life comes easy. Persistence. Resilience. Optimism. Perspective.

A short delay in the scheme of things is no big deal. We will be open soon. This will be water under the bridge, and Turbo 26 will be a huge success – eventually. I believe. In the meantime, amid these stressful delays, so much good was happening all around me. My son came home from six months of travelling in Asia. My best friend came to visit from Boston. My friends were emailing me and calling me offering me their support. I am surrounded by love and support – one lucky girl!

Stay tuned. Turbo 26 will be open soon – very soon!

Joanna Meiseles is the founder of Turbo 26 Studio, a new concept in yoga coming to the Stanford Shopping Center in Palo Alto, California this fall. Turbo 26 offers fast-flow heated yoga classes in 26-minute stackable intervals. Designed to deliver inspiring fitness-focused classes, Turbo 26 is demystifying yoga and making the benefits accessible to anyone willing to challenge their body and open their mind.

Prior to Turbo 26, Joanna created Snip-its, a franchised chain of hair salons for children. After building Snip-its to more than 60 locations in the US, Joanna put her skill and franchise expertise to work as a strategy consultant at iFranchise Group, the world's premier franchise consulting firm. A lifelong avid yogi, Joanna is now putting her energy into Turbo 26, a concept that she hopes to grow into a successful franchise across Northern California and then across the country.